1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to mechanisms for preventing the inadvertent complete withdrawal of a drawer from the front of a piece of furniture, such as a desk, chest, or the like, and, in particular, to a drawer stop device which prevents complete removal of the drawer without exertion of additional pulling force in excess of that required to merely open the drawer for access to its contents.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many types of furniture, such as a dresser, a cabinet, desk, or an entertainment center, have one or more removable drawers therein. The drawers are generally guided into and out of a corresponding drawer opening in the framework of the furniture by sliding along a guide rail or other guiding means. Such guide means generally include two drawer guide components, the first of which is typically mounted to the drawer and generally positioned longitudinally from the front to the rear of the drawer and centrally located either underneath the drawer or along the side walls of the drawer. The second drawer guide component is usually mounted to the furniture frame defining the drawer opening and positioned either along a corresponding bottom or side surface of the framework of the opening such that it is configured to engage or receive the first drawer guide component. Access to the interior of the drawer is gained by advancing the front of the drawer outwardly along the guide means beyond the drawer opening, a distance sufficient to expose the drawer's contents. The drawer may generally be completely removed from the drawer opening by simply sliding the drawer further outwardly such that the rear of the drawer leaves the guide means and passes outwardly beyond the drawer opening.
Occasionally, a drawer is unintentionally or inadvertently completely withdrawn from the drawer opening in the furniture piece. Such occurrence is typically a nuisance and can possibly result in a painful experience, frequently including injury, and/or damage, should the drawer fall on a person or object. Accordingly, drawer stopping mechanisms have been designed and developed to prevent such accidental complete withdrawal of a drawer. Various mechanisms have been proposed which involve the use of a single drawer stop structure affixed to the inner surface of the rear wall of the drawer and having a portion raised above its upper edge which is configured to contact the top frame of the drawer opening upon full extension, thereby preventing the drawer from inadvertently falling out of the drawer opening. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,639,028 and 4,392,697 disclose such drawer stops.
Other proposed drawer stop mechanisms involve the use of two interacting components, one positioned either on the side wall or bottom of the drawer and the other positioned on the frame of the drawer opening. These mechanisms require manual manipulation of one or both components by the user in order to completely withdraw the drawer from the furniture piece. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,505,526 and 5,795,044 disclose such devices wherein one component, attached to the drawer, must be depressed to avoid mechanical interference with a detent structure attached to the frame of the furniture.
Yet other proposed mechanisms, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,736 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20030184197, involve drawer stopping mechanisms having a single structural component attached generally to the underside of the drawer and configured to engage with a parting rail, laterally disposed relative the direction of drawer motion and typically part of the frame of the drawer opening, to resist further removal of the drawer.
While the previously proposed methods of preventing inadvertent, complete drawer removal have been useful to varying extents, they have not been entirely satisfactory for one or more reasons, such as complexity, unreliability, etc.